Tag: Emirates airline

Emirates Airline has announced the commencement of its ‘Hello 2018 fare sale’, which offers special deals on economy and business class flights to popular destinations for its Nigerian travellers.

According to the airline, the offer is for those looking to take their dream holiday or plan to visit loved ones before or during the New Year holiday.

“The special sale includes six destinations across Emirates’ global network for a travel period beginning on 4th December and ending on 17th December. The second phase begins on January 15 and ends June 30, 2018,” the airline said.

The airline said passengers travelling on Emirates could also enjoy over 2,500 channels of entertainment, including films, through ice, Emirates’ award-winning in-flight entertainment system.

“Passengers across all cabins will be served a variety of fine wines and regionally inspired cuisine prepared using fresh ingredients. They will also experience the famed hospitality of the airline’s multi-cultural cabin crew. Emirates also offer passengers a generous baggage allowance of up to 35kg in economy class, 40kg in business class and 50kg in first class.

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Emirates has revealed plans to operate extra flights to Jeddah to help facilitate travel for thousands of pilgrims this year heading for Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.

The airline said it would be operating 45 additional flights to Jeddah and 12 additional flights to Medina from August 17 until 11 September to help serve the two million pilgrims expected to travel to Mecca during the Hajj this year, with valid hajj visa.

“These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah. The airline will also be operating its A380 to Medina, which will also support the increased demand during this period. This year, top inbound destinations Emirates is expecting hajj pilgrims to come from are Yangon, Manchester, Mauritius, Jakarta, Karachi, Lagos and Nairobi,” the airline said.

The Emirates’ Senior Vice-President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran, Adil Al Ghaith, said that travelling for hajj was a unique experience for Muslims around the world, and the airline expected over 20,000 pilgrims to travel with it this year.

“With a sizeable increase in demand for air travel during this period, Emirates is helping to make the journey more seamless for the scores of pilgrims making their way to the Holy City of Mecca. Whether it’s in the air or on the ground, Emirates aims to provide all its customers with the best experience in line with their faith, particularly at this significant time and important journey,” he said.

According to him, Emirates has appointed a dedicated group of airport workers to seamlessly facilitate the passenger ground experience for the Hajj, in addition to dedicated check-in counters that have been set up for the Hajj passengers in Dubai.

He added, “In the air, several initiatives have been planned in keeping with the values and traditions that pilgrims uphold when travelling for the Hajj.

“Extra provisions will be made to accommodate the Hajj traveller needs such as performing ablution, advising passengers about Al-Miqat and Ihram (when pilgrims enter a state of sanctity) and other arrangements that will help ease their journey.”

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The Emirates Group says it has recorded 29th consecutive year of profit and steady business expansion, despite a turbulent year for global aviation and travel.

The airline said it recorded about $670m profit in the last financial year in its recently released 2016 – 2017 Annual Report.

“The Emirates Group posted an AED 2.5bn ($ 670m) profit for the financial year ending March 31, 2017, down 70 per cent from last year’s record profit. The group’s revenue reached AED 94.7bn ($ 25.8bn), an increase of two per cent over last year’s results, and the group’s cash balance decreased by 19 per cent to AED 19.1bn ($ 5.2bn) mainly due to the repayment of two bonds on maturity and ongoing high investments into its fleet and aircraft-related assets,” the group said in a statement.

“In line with the current business climate and to support the future investment plans of the group, no dividend payment will be made to the Investment Corporation of Dubai for 2016-17,” the group added.

According to the airline, its workforce has also grown to over 105,000.

The Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, was quoted to have said that Emirates had continued to deliver profits and grow the business, despite 2016-17 being one of the group’s most challenging years.

He said, “Over the years, we have invested to build our business capabilities and brand reputation. We now reap the benefits as these strong foundations have helped us to weather the destabilising events, which have impacted on travel demand during the year – from the Brexit vote to Europe’s immigration challenges and terror attacks.”

According to the group, in 2016-17, it has invested AED 13.7bn ($ 3.7bn) in new aircraft and equipment, the acquisition of companies, modern facilities, the latest technologies, and staff initiatives, which have further strengthened the business.

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The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed the no-case submission filed by Emirates Airlines and four of its officials in response to charges of $1.63m theft filed against them by the Federal Government.

The four officials whose no-case submissions were dismissed are Abayomi Abiola, Isiaka Adedeji, Awonubi Abayomi and George Ikpekhia.

Joined with them in the charges were two companies, Pathfinder International Ltd., and Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc, whose no-case submissions were equally dismissed by the court.

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had in 2009 charged the seven defendants with the theft of $1.63m belonging to a businessman, Prince Ikem Orji.

The eleven counts, marked FHC/L/386c/09, filed against them before Justice Mohammed Idris border on conspiracy, theft and money laundering.

In the charges, the Federal Government alleges that the defendants conspired among themselves to swindle Orji of his $1.63m under the false pretext that they would help him to keep the money and deliver same to him at Ghuangzhou, China.

The money was said to have been kept in one of the four bags tagged EK 428682, EK428683, E 650165 and EK 650161, which Orji kept with the defendants on the promise that they would help him to keep the bags intact for onward delivery to him in China.

The AGF claimed the defendants committed the offence on December 19, 2007 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

In one of the charges, the four airport officials were charged with money laundering for their “failure to report an international transfer of the sum of $1.63m belonging to Prince Ikem Orji, a sum above $10,000 required to be reported to the Central Bank of Nigeria by virtue of Section 2 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.”

The Federal Government alleged that the defendants acted contrary to Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and were liable to be punished under Section 422 of the same Act.

The four airline officials were alleged to have violated Section 15(1) (e) of the Money Laundering Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and were liable to be punished under Section 15(2) (b) and (3) of the same Act.

The defendants had upon their arraignment about eight years ago pleaded not guilty to the charges, following which the prosecution opened its case, calling three witnesses and tendering a number of exhibits.

Upon the conclusion of the prosecution’s case on October 18, 2016, the defendants, when called upon to defend themselves, filed no-case submissions.

The defendants maintained that the prosecution failed to make out any prima facie case against them to warrant them to enter any defence.

They contended that the evidence led by the prosecution was manifestly unreliable; adding that much of the evidence given by the prosecution witnesses had been discredited under cross-examination.

They urged the court to dismiss the charges against them and discharge them.

But in an April 7 ruling, a copy of which our correspondent obtained on Thursday, Justice Idris dismissed the defendants’ no-case submission, holding that the prosecution had made a strong case against them to warrant them to defend themselves.

The judge held, “For the reasons contained herein, I am of the view that the defendants have some explanations to make. The no-case submission is, therefore, overruled.”

The judge adjourned till June 21, 22 and 23, 2017, for the defendants to open their case.

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